While I was staying in Raleigh on the way to the Light of the Path retreat, I went to the lake to give food to ducks, and to chant the Five Powerful Mantras, the Medicine Budddha mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM and the Maitreya mantra. These mantras are recited for the animals so they will never be reborn in the lower realms; instead they will be reborn at a time when Maitreya Buddha is there and they will receive a prediction of enlightenment.

The Five Powerful Mantras [includes the Stainless Pinnacle, Kunrig and Mitukpa] are extremely powerful mantras to recite. While I was chanting, the bird realized I was going away and I was quite surprised.

Feeding animals after reciting mantras on the food not only stops them from being hungry, it prevents them from eating other animals. It also purifies their negative karma and helps them not to be reborn in the hell realms, and it plants the seed to enlightenment so they get liberated from the ocean of suffering of the six realms and completely cease the delusions.